Human Blood First To Contain Microplastics
“Our study is a first indication that polymer particles are present in the blood,” stated Prof Dick Vethaak, an Ecotoxicologist at Vrije Universität Amsterdam in the Netherlands. “But we need to extend the research, increase the sample sizes and the number of polymers evaluated, etc.” He stated that additional studies are being conducted by several groups.
Vethaak said that “It’s reasonable to be worried.” “The particles exist and are transported throughout our bodies,” Vethaak said to the Guardian. He also stated that previous studies had shown that microplastics were 10x higher in baby’s feces than those of adults. And that children who are given plastic bottles are capable of ingesting millions of microplastic particles every day.
He stated that “We also know that young children and babies are more vulnerable to particle and chemical exposure.” “This worries me a lot.”
The journal Environment International published this new research. They used existing techniques to analyze and detect particles as small as 0.07mm. Some blood samples had two or three types of plastic in them. To prevent contamination, the team used steel needles and glass tubes. They also tested for background levels microplastics using blanks.
Vethaak admitted that there was a significant difference in the types and amounts of plastic between blood samples. Vethaak said that the study was pioneering and there is still much to be done. He suggested that the differences may be due to short-term exposures, such as when a coffee cup was covered with plastic or when a face mask was worn.
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